The Cruelty of Men
by MarieBloom17
Summary: What if Balian was abused by his brother with the excuse of being possessed by demons. But what if a reputation for that was also carried even farther? Is he truly possessed by demons, or not? Fic in which his brother's name is Jacques.
1. Chapter 1

His horse stirred impatiently as the bishop gave Fr. Jacques a handful of coins.

"Take care of Balian. Make sure he recovers from the loss of his wife and child," he said.

"My lord, he is in the grip of demons! He must be...examined."

"He is only grieving, you fool. Now go."

Jacques muttered a string of curses no man of the cloth should dare say to himself before hurrying down to the village. Finally he reached the shed where he kept Balian. He was careful not to let anyone know he was treating him this way. He needed to keep up the act of being a humane man.

Entering the pitch black of the shed, he wrapped his cloak closer around himself. It was freezing outside and, with no sunlight in there, it was even colder.

"Balian," he whispered, hoping he had finally died of the continual beatings and whippings he administered to supposedly beat the demons out of him. In truth, all he wanted was to be rid of him so he could take his lands. When he died, he could always say that the demons killed him.

"How are you today?" he grinned.

There was a rattle of chains as Balian looked up at him with that haunted look which proved to most that he was indeed possessed.

Coughing up blood, he murmured, "Why...won't you just kill me...and be done with it."

"Balian!" Jacques pretended to be shocked. "How could you say that? I am only trying to save your soul."

"You care nothing for me nor my soul. I am not...a fool."

"Nonsense. Now eat! You must keep up your strength to fight them off."

Balian turned away from the slop offered him.

Jacques shoved it in his face. "EAT!"

Balian backed up as far as the iron collar round his neck and the pain that seemed to set his whole back afire would allow.

"Fine," Jacques muttered, secretly glad of his refusal to eat, "See if I care."

Taking off his cloak, he then proceeded to beat Balian with punches to the face and stomach, and anywhere and everywhere. He got caught up with it and only stopped when Balian was left unconscious from the pain he received. Wiping his knuckles from the blood, he donned his cloak and walked away.

As he trudged out of the shed, squinting in the sunlight, he bumped into a horse.

"Sorry" he muttered. Looking up, he almost tripped again, for it was none other than Godfrey de Ibelin. Crap.

Hope you like this! I was going through the fanfiction for Kingdom of Heaven and noticed there wasn't much of anything for it. Too bad, it's an amazing movie!

Also, if you would like to see or know someone who would like to see a story on Percy Jackson and the Olympians where Luke Castellan survives TLO, vote at the poll on my profile, please.

Also, RIP Carrie Fisher!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to FlowerChildR for following this and here's the second chapter!

"Would you be so kind as to tell me where I might find a young man called Balian, good father?" the Baron asked.

"Balian? Ah, yes!" Jacques stuttered, pulling himself together. "You mean the blacksmith, right? Brown hair, brown eyes, yea tall?"

"Yes, where is he?" he demanded impatiently.

"He is in yonder shed, chained down because he is possessed by demons. Poor man lost his wife to suicide. She is damned and he is fallen away from God as well, my lord."

Godfrey's went from haughty to desperate as his filled with tears.

"My poor child! May I see him? Perhaps I could help. He is not violent, is he?"

"You can see for yourself, if you dare. This way, my lord."

Godfrey opened the shed door, stopping to get his tall frame in. He let out a stifled cry of disbelief at what he saw.

"Why is he in this condition!"

"No matter what I do, the demons return him to this state," Jacques lied.

Balian lay shivering violently, eyes staring into space. He looked gaunt and so lifeless. It was obvious that he hadn't eaten or gotten proper sleep in a long time.

Godfrey slowly approached him until he was right near him. Squatting down, he whispered his name softly.

"Balian? I am-I am your father and this is a terrible time to say this but I am so sorry. I should have been here for you. Can you hear me, my son?"

Balian raised his eyes to show his face covered in dirt and blood. Tears made noticable trails down his face. He looked so vulnerable that Godfrey wanted to wrap his arms round him and never let go. He looked so much like his mother! However, he was smart enough to be at least a little cautious about the possibility of possession.

"Why are you here?" he croaked. "Have you come to make sport of me? Douse me in holy water? Or perhaps try to beat these supposed _demons_ right out of me?"

"What!" Godfrey exclaimed in horror.

"You heard what I said!" Balian said, but in a deeper voice, a more menacing voice that made Godfrey get up hastily and take quite a few steps back.

"I don't understand," gasped Godfrey while taking deep breaths to get his breathing under control.

Jacques stood rooted to the spot behind him, trying not to be noticed.

"Leave me alone!"

At that, both Godfrey and Jacques ran as swiftly as they could out of the shed, in terror for their souls.

They did not notice Balian smile slightly to himself. He knew that imitating a deep voice would make them leave, thinking it was the voice of Satan. He didn't think he could take any more abuse, verbal or physical.

Couldn't he just mourn his wife in peace without people assuming that it was of the devil? So what if Marie had committed suicide? Why would she be damned to Hell simply for grief over losing their child?


	3. Chapter 3

That night, Godfrey snuck into the shed bent on taking Balian with him to Jerusalem. He knew he might be possessed but it was worth it. Besides, Jacques' methods were not working. Perhaps he simply needed his father.

He found Balian dead with his wrists slit. Falling next to him, he cried his heart out over the son he had never had and only just found.

He didn't see Jacques smiling to himself in the distance with blood on his hands.

When news came to the village of what had happened, everyone believed that the demons which had possessed him had caused him to do what his wife had done.

No one knew but Balian that Jacques had become weary of waiting and fearful of the Baron finding out and had slain his own brother. Because dead men tell no tales.

Despite the protests of the villiagers, Godfrey made sure Balian was properly buried.

Perhaps it was better that Balian had left this world, for he was finally reunited with his wife and child who he had so deeply mourned. Godfrey had prayed to God so fervently that Balian would find happiness after so much suffering. And his prayers had been answered, even if it was not in the way he had hoped.


End file.
